INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY MEETS HUMAN INGENUITY TO CREATE THE FUTURE TELCO WORKFORCE 2 THE FUTURE TELCO WORKFORCE FUTURE READY Traditional Communications Service Providers (CSPs) are realizing that the rulebook they’ve followed for decades no longer applies. The profitability of core products and services is diminishing. Competitive barriers are collapsing. Customer loyalty is quickly becoming a thing of the past. In this changed environment, many established CSPs struggle to remain relevant. The most successful are using the technological advances that are responsible for so much of the industry’s upheaval to transform their core services and forge new paths to new sources of revenue and growth. Equally important, they are introducing smart technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) to create a future-ready workforce that will guide them to growth. Accenture’s recent “Reworking the Revolution” research study, however, exposes a curious gap between CSPs’ management and their workers when it comes to harnessing the potential of future technology. Workers are receptive and to and excited about the coming changes with 63 percent believing that AI will have a positive impact on their work. Their leaders, meanwhile, acknowledge the potential of new technologies but aren’t being as strategic as they could be in planning for their implementation. Only 21 percent of CSP leaders surveyed highlighted advanced workforce planning for future skills needs as a top initiative. Bridging this digital disconnect is critical for any CSP’s future. 3 THE RISE OF THE DIGITAL TELCO Incumbency no longer offers CSPs the advantages it tasks and culture. And they are zeroing in on the once did. Digital disruptors are entering the scene at advantages afforded by their proximity to consumers, scale with customer-centric, data-driven services and experience of enterprise vertical markets, strong products, and challenging both the consumer and the security reputation, trust, connectivity and data – B2B revenues for the CSP. Based on digital platforms, and overlaying that with a digital growth mindset ecosystems and new technologies, these new services that encourages experimentation and innovation. are not only expanding the value equation beyond traditional communications services, but also redefining Equally important, they are adopting dual growth consumer and business expectations in the digital age. strategies – one focused on strengthening core capabilities and services, and the other targeted to In response to this competitive threat, savvy CSPs new value-creation opportunities. Underpinning both are taking a page from the digital disruptors’ is a newfound appreciation of the power of digital. rulebook to reimagine their structures, processes, 70% 77% OF CSP EXECUTIVES EXPECT AGREE THAT INTELLIGENT INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES TECHNOLOGIES AND AI WILL TO COMPLETELY TRANSFORM UNDERPIN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS’ THE INDUSTRY FUTURE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE1 1Accenture Future Workforce: Reworking the Revolution Research, January 2018. 4 THE FUTURE TELCO WORKFORCE For US telecommunications company CenturyLink, an AI agent named Angie works with sales managers to identify the most promising sales leads. Angie engages with leads via email and interprets the interactions to determine which ones to drop or pursue. The solution generates 40 hot leads for sales managers each month and so far earns US$20 in new contracts for every dollar spent on the system.2 2CenturyLink using AI to boost sales efficiency. Light Reading – 2017. 5 THE PEOPLE FACTOR Forward-looking CSPs recognize that digital intelligent tools, not just to streamline operations and transformations are, at their core, people transformations pursue new value, but to better support their employees and are taking time to re-imagine what work means and augment their skills. 73 percent of CXO respondents in the digital age. They are reorganizing and reskilling from our telco research sample were convinced that their future workforces to capitalize on digitally-enabled their organization would, to a large or very large extent, growth opportunities. Above all, they are introducing automate tasks and processes in the next 3 years.3 Verizon’s investment in analytics and AI-driven technology means its predictive analytics algorithms monitor network service quality via data streaming from millions of network interfaces. Data translators play an increasingly critical role – and demand is forecast to grow for these workers. They can speak the data science language, but they also know the business.4 3Accenture Future Workforce: Reworking the Revolution Research, January 2018. 4The Amazing Ways Verizon Uses AI and Machine Learning to Improve Performance: Forbes, June 2018. 6 THE FUTURE TELCO WORKFORCE 7 THE DIGITAL DISCONNECT CSP WORKFORCES ARE LARGELY READY, WILLING CSPs understand that digital technologies have AND ABLE TO EMBRACE AI redefined the way people work. AI is now taking the digital workforce revolution to the next level – not just augmenting the tasks people carry out but accelerating the pace of organizational change and value creation. AI delivers a host of benefits. It can enhance employee and customer experiences, enable agility, collaboration and personalization, and speed up decision-making. For CSPs, AI can also usher in new jobs and opportunities that allow intelligent workforces to shine. In fact, 63 percent of CSP leaders expect intelligent technologies to generate net job gains in the next 3 years.5 77% CSP workers are excited by the possibilities and ready for change. Eighty-two percent of them are confident in their abilities to work with intelligent technologies. BELIEVE AI WILL MAKE THEM MORE PRODUCTIVE 62% BELIEVE AI WILL SPARK CREATIVITY/INNOVATION 5Accenture Future Workforce: Reworking the Revolution Research, January 2018. 8 THE FUTURE TELCO WORKFORCE 71% 66% 63% BELIEVE AI WILL MAKE BELIEVE AI WILL IMPROVE BELIEVE AI WILL HAVE JOBS SIMPLER WORK-LIFE BALANCE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR WORK 60% 54% BELIEVE AI WILL MAKE BELIEVE AI WILL EXPAND JOBS MORE INTERESTING CAREER PROSPECTS6 6Accenture Future Workforce: Reworking the Revolution Research, January 2018. 9 10 THE FUTURE TELCO WORKFORCE When we began our journey in Vodafone Business Operations, we already had an idea of how disruptive technology like AI would change the way we work. People continue to be at the centre of our business, with technology reducing repetitive tasks and giving them more time back to speak to our customers, to be creative. It’s our workplace culture which is driving the biggest improvements. Gary Adey, Group Commercial and Operations Director, Vodafone Business7 Executives, however, are less confident. CSP leaders • 96 percent expect the future workforce to comprise believe that only 25 percent of their workforces are a blend of humans and machines. However, just 46 ready to work with AI. And 39 percent cite the percent believe human-machine collaboration will be growing skills gap as the top factor influencing important to achieving their strategic priorities. Further, their workforce strategy.8 just 20 percent see the increase in human-machine collaboration influencing their workforce strategies. This hesitancy on the part of CSP leaders extends beyond their impressions of workforce readiness. • 47 percent believe intelligent technologies are Specifically, while leaders may no longer question the making traditional job descriptions obsolete. But only value of AI, they are still unsure how they will bring 19 percent have taken steps to redefine jobs and the vision of intelligent technologies and intelligent roles. Similarly, 64 percent believe AI will improve workforces to life. workforce productivity. But only 19 percent see the adoption of intelligent technologies in work Our research revealed a number of examples of practices influencing their workforce strategy. this digital disconnect: • Perhaps most strikingly, internal skills shortages • 73 percent of CSP leaders plan to automate tasks are cited as the top challenge to creating an to a large or very large extent over the next three intelligent workforce. And 39 percent of CSP years. And 53 percent believe AI will be used to a execs cite the growing skill gap as the top factor large extent to assist with human tasks. Yet, only influencing their workforce strategies. Despite 21 percent are conducting workforce planning these concerns, only 6 percent plan to increase to take future skills needs into account. their training/reskilling investments significantly. 7Accenture Future Workforce: Reworking the Revolution Research, January 2018. 8Accenture Future Workforce: Reworking the Revolution Research, January 2018. 11 AI enables CSP leaders to shift their focus from workforce planning to work planning – from jobs to the fundamental nature of work. BUILDING A FUTURE-READY WORKFORCE To build an intelligent workforce capable of using The second shift focuses on pursuing longer-term, intelligent technologies to grow the business, CSPs transformational opportunities. This involves creating need to first gain clarity around what they hope to a culture of innovation and redesigning processes and accomplish. Only then can they ready their intelligent organizational structures to enable fluid teaming. It also workforces at scale, at speed, and on a continual basis. requires entirely new skills – many of which can’t be taught in a classroom. “It’s Learning. Just Not As We Three actions will help ensure they are best positioned